September 27th - 30th

So this is what happens when I get lazy and forget to update the blog before the month ends, I have to cram three or more days into one listing, otherwise it would be placed into the category for the next month (i.e: the last few days of September would wind up in October.) Forgive my procrastination (I was going to join Procrastinators Anonymous, but I keep putting it off.)

September 30th

I took my sons to see the Canadian kiddie group sensations "The Doodlebops" live at Madison Square Garden today. (They had a blast! I remmber when my grandmother used to take my brother and I to shows at the Garden like H.R. Pufnstuf, the Osmonds, and Sesame Street.) I'm writing to the three actors who play the Doodlebops, and to the CEO of the company that produces the show.

Lisa J. Lennox - DeeDee Doodle

Jonathan Wexler - Moe Doodle

Chad McNamara - Rooney Doodle

Michael Hirsh - CEO, Cookie Jar Entertainment



September 29th

1829 - London's Metropolitan Police, the first major organized police force in a big city, is formed. Most people know them from the name of their headquarters, "Scotland Yard." I'm writing to the current Chief of Police.

Sir Ian Blair


September 28th

The American musical style called "The Blues" is born (or, more accurately, made popular) on this day in 1912 when musician W.C. Handy releases his album "Memphis Blues." While Mr. Handy is long since gone, I'm writing to those who are continuing to popularize this musical style.

B.B. King

Etta James

Eric Clapton

Keb'Mo

Dan Aykroyd


September 27th

I saw the Rolling Stones in concert for the first time tonight. An amazing show, and a thrill to see legends in person. (My brother, sister in law, my wife and I were lucky enough to have backstage passes!) I'm writing to all four members of "The Stones"

Mick Jagger

Keith Richards

Ron Wood

Charlie Watts

McFly!! McFly!! I'm responding!!

Tom Wilson

Reference date: July 3rd



One of my alltime favorite movies is "Back to the Future." While most people root for the heroes, I've always had an affinity for the bad guys. "Back to the Future" had one of the greatest tormentors in film history, Biff Tannen. He was so good, they used him in both sequels. The actor who played him, Tom Wilson, is an accomplished (and very funny) stand-up comedian, who is currently appearing in the ABC sitcom "Help Me Help You." I wrote to Mr. Wilson about life in the entertainment business, and this was his reply.

Thanks for the very kind words, Chris. Nice of you to say.

You know, I get asked a LOT about words of wisdom, but I don't think anybody has THE right answer. All I know is - the people ready to work hard, and persevere, and maybe write their own stuff, and put on their own show usually do way better than the people sort of taking a class and waiting to get lucky. It takes a lot of work, a lot of rejection, even a lot of despair, but as I said, the people who get out there and start to make their own breaks usually do better, and are happier, then those people waiting for their "big break."

Your big break usually happens after you've worked out a thousand little breaks, doing most of the work yourself.

And you also have to factor in what success means to you. Is it performing, writing, and being creative on your terms...or is it waiting for some other guys opinion to change about you, so you need his permission - or casting in his show, to make you feel like a success?

If I had to guess, I'd guess you're pretty successful right now.

But keep going. Keep fighting. Keep creating. Keep having fun!

Tom Wilson

I sent him a thank you the next day.

A non-reply reply from a great American

Warren Christopher

Reference Date: March 22nd







I wrote to many former US Secretaries of State, knowing full well that they had busy schedules. It's not surprising that I would get a letter from one of their offices politely declining my request for a personal response.

Here it is in full detail:

Dear Mr. Lucas:

Mr. Christopher has asked me to respond to your letter. He appreciates all your kind words.

While he would like to respond to your questions about his government service and the State Department, unfortunately his overbooked schedule doesn't leave enough time for him to personally answer all of his correspondence.

You might try to check out a copy of his memoirs from your local library, "Chances of a Lifetime." It is very informative and may give you some insight into his life and his government service.

Mr. Christopher sends his thanks for taking the time to contact him.

Sincerely,

Executive Assistant to Warren Christopher

I sent a thank you the next day.

A very busy actor responds

Paul Borghese

Reference Date: March 18th



Most working actors, unless they are superstars, spend their days going from audition to audition, putting marketing materials together, sending out those materials and trying to make some progress in the business. I know because that's what my life as an actor is like. It leaves little time for other endeavors. There is one guy who goes above and beyond, and helps other actors in their quest to succeed. his name is Paul Borghese. Not only has he starred in many ntional commercials, and in films like "Find Me Guilty" and "*61" (where he played baseball legend Yogi Berra) he also is the head of the Guild of Italian American Actors, an organization that promotes positive images of Italians onscreen. I wrote to Paul for advice, and he sent back a no nonsense email reply about life in the business.

This is what he had to say:

Dear Chris,

This is a tough business, there are many better career choices one can make. Very few people ever make it in this business, but if you chose it regardless, just don't ever give up on it unless someone other than yourself is having to make sacrifices for your career.

If you plan on raising a family, get into something with more financial security. Nothing is more important than family.

PB

I responded with a thank you email the same day.

Someone's not paying attention..

OK, I'm sending more than the 365 letters I had planned on this year (the number will be closer to 1,000 when all is said and done.) I fully expect to get only a twenty percent response rate (and I'm averaging almost that.) I don't even mind non-reply replies (where an office will send me a note acknowledging reciept of my letter, but telling me that the person is too busy to respond personally.) However, this week, I received two very strange missives from two major companies. I sent letters to the CEO's of both corporations, asking advice about lfe and business. They were addressed directly to the CEO's. The following is what came back from the companies in question. (Someone wasn't reading the correspondence properly.)




Reference date: February 15th



Dear Chris,

Thank you for your expression of interest in employment opportunities at Toys "R" Us and for submitting your resume to us. (I did neither of those things, by the way - Chris)

Your experience is certainly impressive. Unfortunately, we do not have a position available that would closely match your qualifications. However, since our needs change periodically, we will retain your resume (Again, I never sent them my resume! - Chris) for one year, and will contact you in the future should an appropriate opportunity develop.

Again, thank you for your interest in us, and best of luck in your future career search.

Best regards,

Toys "R" Us Talent Acquisition Department.





Apple Computers

Reference date: June 5th


Thank you for contacting Apple!

We always appreciate hearing from our customers. You can find information about Apple, our products and our team by visiting our website.

Thanks again for your interest and support.

Tha Apple Team

September 26th

1998 - The internet sensation Google is established. The name itself has become a verb (i.e.: I "googled" him to find out more information.) I'm writing to the geniuses (and now billionaires) behind it.

Sergey Brin

Larry Page

September 25th

1957 - The musical classic "West Side Story", based on Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" debuts. (Incredibly, it lost the Tony Award for Best Musical to "The Music Man") I'm writing to some of the more notable cast members over the years.

Chita Rivera

George Chakiris

Richard Beymer

Russ Tamblyn

September 24th

1981 - The first female justice is appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court

Sandra Day O'Connor

September 23rd

1789 - Office of the U.S. Attorney General established

Alberto Gonzalez

John Ashcroft

Janet Reno

Richard Thornburgh

Dick Meese

September 22nd

The smash hit sitcom "Friends" debuts - 1994

Courtney Cox

David Schwimmer

Jennifer Aniston

Matthew Perry

Lisa Kudrow

Matthew LeBlanc

September 21st

1970 - "Monday Night Football" ,one of the longest running programs on televison, debuts. While its biggest star, Howard Cosell, is no longer around to correspond with, many of his colleagues and successors are. I'm writing to them.

"Dandy" Don Meredith

Frank Gifford

Keith Jackson

Joe Namath

O.J. Simpson

Fran Tarkenton

Fred Williamson

Alex Karras

Dan Dierdorf

Boomer Esiason

Dan Fouts

Dennis Miller

Al Michaels

John Madden

September 20th

1998 - baseball's newest Iron Man ends his consecutive games streak (after playing past the streak of the previous Iron man - Lou Gehrig 2,130 games) at 2,632.

Cal Ripken, Jr.

The "Lord"of the theater world replies.

Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber

Reference Date: June 11th






When I sent a letter to theater legend (and British Lord) Andrew Lloyd Webber, I never expected a reply. (Statistically, I only expect 15% of the people I write to this year to reply. The question is, which 15 percent?) To my surprise, an envelope came in the mail this week from the Really Useful Group, his producion company. Inside was a letter, on his personal stationery, from Lord Llloyd Webber, composer of such classics as "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Evita", Cats" and, of course, "Phantom of the Opera."

This is what he wrote:

Dear Chris,

Thank you for your very kind recent letter.

I completely appreciate how hard it is for actors to break into the industry. Really the only advice I can give is to get involved in as much as possible, whether it's amateur or professional, fringe or unpaid, etc.

I wish you every success in your carer. Thank you so much for taking the trouble to write in.

Yours sincerely,

Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber

I sent him a thank you the next day.

A "triple threat" replies

Brian Stokes Mitchell

Reference date: June 11th







I wrote to one of my favorite all time theater people, Tony winner Brian Stokes Mitchell, who is a classic "triple threat" - meaning that he can act, dance, and sing with equal skill. I first saw this rare talent in "Ragtime" on Broadway. Since then, I've seen him in "Kiss Me Kate" and "Man of LaMancha." He also just released a solo album.

He was nice enough to send me an email in response to my questions about the business. This was his reply:


Chris,

Thanks for the kind words. Here are a few quick answers to your questions:

First, learn to listen to your heart - then always follow it and trust it- that also means when you no longer have the heart to pursue entertainment as a goal to listen to it.

You will know the pitfalls when you see them - they are different for everyone- avoid all of them!! :-)

Don't get so mono focused on your goal of becoming an actor that you miss all the great life going by! Also have something else you like to do that you can fall back on between jobs (other than waiting tables, etc.) Most of our time as actors is spent "between jobs".

The most valuable lesson I've ever learned is to follow my heart.

Finally, never stop challenging yourself and study, study study!!!

I wish you the best with whatever life presents you! -

Brian Stokes Mitchell

I thanked him by email the same day.

September 19th

1981 - Simon & Garfunkel reunite for an historic concert on the Great Lawn of Central Park.

Paul Simon

Art Garfunkel

September 18th

CBS Network debuts - 1927

Les Moonves - President

September 17th

The City of Boston, Mass. founded - 1630

Mayor Thomas Menino

September 16th

Metropolitan Opera House opens at Lincoln Center (NYC) - 1966

Beverly Sills

James Levine

September 15th

1st issue of USA Today published - 1982

Ken Paulson - Editor

September 14th

United Nations building established in New york City - 1948

Kofi Annan - U.N. Secretary General

The man who has won the most Tony awards replies

Harold Prince

Reference date: June 11th





My Father and Grandmother introduced me to Broadway shows at an early age. Some of our favorites were produced and or directed by Harold "Hal" Prince, who has won twenty Tony Awards, more than anyone in history. (For shows like "Damn Yankees" "Fiddler on the Roof" "Cabaret" and "Phantom of the Opera") My Father is blind, and part of the joy of seeing a show with him is describing the sets, costumes and lighting. I wrote to Mr. Prince to let him know how much we enjoyed his shows, and he not only was kind enough to reply with the following letter, but to also send an autographed copy of his book: Harold Prince and the American Musical Theater Here is his letter to me:

Dear Chris,

What an unusual and kind letter to receive.

I'm always delighted by the surprises that theatrical work can offer.

In the case of your relationship to your father, it's marvelous stuff, and extremely satisfying.

I'm taking the liberty of sending you the enclosed book, with best wishes to him,

And you,

Hal Prince

I sent him a thank you the next day

A reply that gets it done

Larry The Cable Guy

Reference date: June 17th



I wrote to one of the most popular comedians in the world today, and he was kind enough to respond by email. The answer is short, but says it all.

Chris,

Thanks for writing.

As for advice: Just keep workin' hard, and don't take "no" for an answer.

Git-R-Done!

- Larry the Cable Guy


I sent him a thank you the same day.

September 13th

1985- Super Mario Brothers video game debuts.

Saturo Iwata - Nintendo CEO

September 12th

The Pee Wee Herman Show debuts - 1981

Paul Ruebens

September 11th

Today is a sad day. It's five years since the horrific attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. I am a New York City tour guide, so the World Trade Center towers meant a lot to me (my first job out of high school was on the 107th floor of tower #1.) I grew up across the river in New Jersey and saw them being built. One of my fondest childhood memories was watching in amazement as a high wire artist walked back and forth between the two towers, a quarter of a mile in the sky! To honor the memory of the towers, I'm writing to this amazing daredevil, and to the man who helped calm our nerves on that terrible day as Mayor of NYC.

Philippe Petit

Rudolph Giuiliani

September 10th

I was rushed to the emergency room today. A few months ago, I was diagnosed with a double hernia and stupidly put off treatment. Well, it came back to bite me. I couldn't walk and was doubled over in pain. As I sat there in the ER, I reflected on the many doctors I've gotten to know through television. (This is how I get all of my medical information. Not too bright, I know.) I've decided to write to some of my favorite TV doctors.



St. Elsewhere - My all time favorite TV medical show, groundbreaking for its time, and it helped to rescue the fortunes of NBC in the 1980's. Some of the best TV doctors ever! (I've already writen to two of them, Denzel Washington and Howie Mandel.)

Ed Begley, Jr.

Norman Lloyd

David Morse

Stephen Furst

Mark Harmon


M*A*S*H - A great commentary on both war and the gallows humor surgeons deploy to face the fact that they hold life in their hands as they operate. The finale is still the highest rated TV show ever.

Harry Morgan

Wayne Rogers


Dr. Kildare - The original "hot young doctor" medical drama. It's star made people see doctors in a different light.

Richard Chamberlain



Marcus Welby - the opposite of "Kildare", this was about a kindly old doctor who used traditional methods to treat patients in a rapidly modernizing world.

James Brolin



Trapper John, M.D. Technically a sequel to "M*A*S*H", this one hour drama followed the post-Korean War career of Trapper John McIntyre (played by a diferent actor) and his young hotshot protege.

Pernell Roberts

Gregory Harrison



Quincy, M.E. - More of a murder mystery series than a medical show, Quincy nonetheless set the stage for all the forensic shows that populate television in 2006.

Jack Klugman

Robert Ito



Doogie Howser, M.D. - A show about a young doctor still in his teens should have streched credibility beyond belief, but it actually worked and became a big hit.

Neil Patrick Harris



E.R. - The show that revived (no pun intended) medical dramas in the 1990's. It launched George Clooney to stardom and is still going strong as NBC's 10PM Thursday night anchor.

Anthony Edwards

Noah Wyle

Eriq LaSalle



Scrubs - A very funny show about life in a hospital, with some of the brightest young stars in Hollywood and cameos by some big names.

Zach Braff

John C. McGinley

Three non-reply replies

Every once in a while, I will get a reply from the office of someone I wrote to, explaining that the person that I sent my letter to gets incredible volumes of mail and cannot reply personally. While this may sound like a brush-off, I'm actually happy to get those letters, because it shows that they care enough to let me know not to expect a letter.

I call these answers non-reply replies, and I prefer them to people who I've sent letters to that I never ever hear from. Here are some of the non-replies I've gotten.



Chef Gordon Ramsay

Reference date: June 26th






Dear Mr. Lucas,

Thank you for your letter to Gordon Ramsay. As I am sure you are aware, Gordon receives a high volume of correspondence. I am afraid that he is not able to respond to individual requests for advice and assistance.

Please be assured that Gordon has read your very kind letter and has asked me to pass on his regards and best wishes.

With kind regards,

Chef Ramsay's assistant






Robert Eckert (Mattel CEO)

Reference date: February 12th

Dear Mr Lucas:

Thank you for contacting us with great questions about the motivation, leadership, and experiences of our CEO Robert Eckert.

Unfortunately, due to the tremendous amount of mail he receives, he is unable to respond directly. Instead, he asked that we send you a copy of an article he wrote for the Harvard Business Review entitled, Where Leadership Starts. We hope you enjoy the article and find that it answers some of the questions you posed in your letter.

Thank you again for contacting us. We really appreciate the positive feedback you provided regarding your experience with Mattel products, as well as your son's.

Sincerely,

Mattel correspondence office







Warren Buffett

Reference date: June 25th



Mr. Lucas:

Mr. Buffett asked me to acknowledge receipt of your letter. Unfortunately, he cannot respond on a one-on-one basis. Too many requests but he does appreciate your writing.

Good luck to you!

Margaret
Assistant to Mr. Buffett

September 9th

1969 - Monty Python's Flying Circus (the Beatles of comedy) tapes its first episode in the UK

John Cleese

Terry Gilliam

Eric Idle

Terry Jones

Michael Palin

September 8th

I watched a retrospective on the show "Happy Days" tonight. I'm writing to some of the cast members.

Henry Winkler

Tom Bosley

Marion Ross

Anson Williams

Don Most

Erin Moran

Scott Baio

September 7th

The Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) debuted on Connnecticut basic cable on this day in 1979. Like Oprah (see yesterday's post), this humble network went on to influence the way we look at sports, and how athletes promote themselves. I'm writing to some of the great ESPN personalities over the years.

Chris Berman - started in 1979

Bob Ley - started in 1979

Dan Patrick

Keith Olbermann

September 6th

One of the most influential people in the world debuted her show on this day in 1986. Who knew back then how much of a positive force she would be? I'm writing to thank her for the inspiration.

Oprah Winfrey

September 5th

I watched a comedy concert on HBO from one of my favorite performers (and one of the hottest working today.) I'm writing to congratulate him.

Dane Cook

September 4th

Today is Labor Day in the United States, a day where we stop to reflect and honor the working class and the struggles they've endured.

I'm writing to the leaders of two of the most poerful labor unions in this country, as well as some of the former leaders of the three unions I belong to (Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Actors, and Actor's Equity Association.)

Jimmy Hoffa Jr. - President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters

John J. Sweeney - President, AFL-CIO

Ellen Burstyn

William Daniels

Richard Masur

Melissa Gilbert

Patty Duke

September 3rd

Tennis great Andre Agassi played his last match ever at the US Open today. He was given a standing ovation. In honor of his achievements, I'm writing to him, and to some of my other favorite tennis players over the years.

Andre Agassi

John McEnroe

Jimmy Connors

Martina Navratilova

Chris Evert Lloyd

Boris Becker

Bjorn Borg

An "Amazin'" guy responds

Ron Swoboda

Reference date: June 16th





One of the heroes of the 1969 "Amazin'" New York Mets was a young outfielder named Ron Swoboda, best known for making a game saving catch in the 1969 World Series.

He was a good friend of my Dad's, and though I'm not a Mets fan, Swoboda was always one of my favorite players. (He did play for the Yankees at the end of his career.)

After he retired, Swoboda became a broadcaster and was involved in show business, including appearnces on sitcoms like "Everybody Loves Raymond." I wrote to ask him for his thoughts on getting ahead in show business and in life.

This was his response:

Hey Chris,

I will put it to you as straight as I can. You have already adopted a good practice. You are, at least, in search of muses and mentors. I mostly followed my own gut and head, neither of which nor the combination of both was smart enough.

Your father was the most undeterred person I ever met. When he first started.. .his questions were not always the most perceptive or probing... but he persisted and learned more about what he was doing. He was dogged, and despite any misgivings he had...he refused to be defeated.

As I look at the mug you plastered on your letter head, I think...this guy ain't getting the girl unless he writes his own piece and gets it produced. You have the face of a character actor so you need to be a character. You need to know every joke ever told... you need to exude a confidence in who your are. Be comfortable in whatever character you play.

A friend of mine once was a poet. He told me the teacher who was the biggest help to him never told him how to write poetry, but exposed him to the notion of what he needed to know to be able to write poetry. Which is everything. Language, of course, current events and history, of course. Wouldn't it be the same for acting? Learning all you can about the craft...the nuts and bolts of portraying emotions. Understanding gestalt and everything your image is saying and how to control it, how to use all of your gifts to create a CHARACTER. And then having the determination and confidence to put it on display in front of the cold, uncaring eyes at every audition you can make it to.

You need to make as many connections in the business of stage acting, screen acting, anywhere, anytime, anyhow, as you can. You may need to have a fallback job that allows you to continue trying to get the break or the work you're after.

You need to look at failure as an event that moves you closer to your next hit. It's like baseball. If you're afraid of failure, maybe you should try an easier job. . .like bottling nitro glycerin.

That's all that I can think of.

Good luck,

Ron Swoboda

P.S: Tell Dad I said hi.


I sent him a thank you the next day.

September 2nd

1967 - The Principality of Sealand - population 5, yes 5 - one of the smallest countries in the world, not recognized by many other countries, is founded.

Prince Roy Bates I (Paddy Roy Bates)

September 1st

1985 - remains of the Titanic are found on the floor of the North Atlantic. There are no more living survivors of the Titanic, so I'm writing to cast members, and the director, of the 1997 smash hit Oscar winning film.

James Cameron

Leonardo DiCaprio

Kate Winslet

Gloria Staurt

Billy Zane

Bill Paxton

David Warner

Victor Garber

Bernard Hill

Frances Fisher

Eric Braeden

Celine Dion